The Peruvian table grape industry is keen to have their first full export season to Japan since gaining full market access earlier this year. Andre Fatorre, sales manager at El Pedregal Peru: “We are going to start exporting to Japan that has just opened up for Peru in April this year.”
Andre Fatorre, sales manager at El Pedregal from Peru, showing their Red Dragon brand in China.
El Pedregal is family company with a 27 year history owned by two families with a long track record of exports to China and Asia. They export mainly table grapes and also have an avocado project says Fatorre. He was busy at their stand on the Peru country pavilion at Asia Fruit Logistica 2023.
“Our main markets are Europe, U.S. and Asia. In Asia we are growing a lot with the AutumnCrisp variety. It is the most favourite green variety in Asia. We have our Red Dragon brand in the Asian market for 25 years. It is one of the most sought after brands in Asia. We started it mainly with Red Globe grapes, but by now we’ve developed the brand with other varieties with the green one that has become the main variety,” explains Fatorre.
He says they normally start their table grape harvest season in October. “We harvest in two parts of the country. We start in the North in Piura and then move to the South in Ica. We harvest through until March. We have availability in Asia until April.”
Fatorre says they key for them in Asia over the past 25 years has been to be in business with one exclusive distributor, where their fruit is sent to the Guangzhou market in China. “We have a very long relationship with them that is like a family. In the rest of Asia we send to South Korea. In the past we used to export a lot to Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan because the Red Globe of Red Dragon was very famous there. Now we are developing the brand there under AutumnCrisp. We are also developing a new brand called White Tiger that is specialised for South Korea.”
Despite the warmer weather and other factors in Peru, Fatorre says they have their sights set on harvesting and exporting a good volume of boxes and containers of grapes to China and the rest of the Asian markets this 2023-24 season. “We look to do more or less 300,000 boxes to China, the target is about 140 containers. About 40-50 containers will be sent to South Korea, Japan and Vietnam,” forecasts Fatorre.
For more information:
Andre Fatorre
El Pedregal
Tel: +51 1 626 7300
Email: hola@elpedregalsa.com
www.elpedregalsa.com